Michael Childers

Faculty - Assistant Professor of History

Degrees

Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2010

Research Interests

Dr. Childers is a nineteenth and twentieth century US historian specializing in US environmental history in a global context, specifically the history of outdoor recreation and sustainability. His first book, Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement (2012), discussed the history of Colorado’s ski industry and the emergence of a new postindustrial West, where mountains have become more valuable as ski resorts than as rangelands. The book received numerous awards and honors, including the International Ski History Association’s Ullr Award, and it was also named a finalist for the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Dr. Childers’ current project is a history of Yosemite National Park for the University of Nevada Press, and he has also begun research on a history of radical environmentalism. In his spare time, Childers is an avid skier and cyclist.

Teaching Interests

He teaches both halves of the American history survey, as well as capstone courses including Environment, Technology and Society, and Analysis of Contemporary Social Issues. He is an award winning instructor, whose classroom focus is on teaching context, critical thinking, and the integration of primary source materials.